Spring break will be here before you know it! With the kids off school, many families choose to leave Birmingham for a vacation. When you think of trip preparations, you may overlook a thermostat adjustment for your absence. It can be a costly one! If you have a spring break trip planned, don’t forget to use programmable and smart thermostats to your advantage when away from home!
Programmable and Smart Thermostats
Programmable and smart thermostats are any homeowner’s top tool for saving money on heating and cooling costs! These tools make adjusting heating and cooling system usage a breeze while they cut unnecessary energy use for lower bills.
A smart thermostat builds upon the capabilities of programmable models – instead of preprogramming temperature schedules, the smart thermostat does the work for you!
After a couple weeks of manual program adjustments, smart thermostats learn the habits and preferences of your household. Then they automatically make temperature adjustments based on what is most efficient at the time, without sacrificing your comfort.
Using Smart Thermostats for Spring Break Savings
Setting your thermostat back is a quick way to save up to 10 percent on annual heating and cooling costs! While your family is away for spring break and other trips throughout the year, set back your thermostat for effortless savings.
Achieve energy savings with a reduction of 7-10 degrees for periods of eight or more hours. While you’re on vacation is the perfect time to do so, as no one is home in need of heating or cooling. If you have pets staying home, be mindful of their needs. Consult with your vet for breed-appropriate needs.
If your home is equipped with a programmable thermostat, switch the thermostat to vacation mode or hold before leaving. Doing so pauses your normal temperature schedules, allowing you to set back your thermostat several degrees for the entire period you are away.
During colder months, set your thermostat to no less than 50 degrees to cut heating use while protecting your home from potential damage due to cold weather, such as frozen pipes.
Smart thermostats are a little different, as they do the setting work for you. Your smart thermostat detects your home is unoccupied and will do an automatic setback. It raises or lowers the temperature for optimal energy efficiency depending on the season.
Using your smart thermostat’s geofencing technology, your thermostat detects when you are approaching home at the end of your trip. Geofencing tells your thermostat you are returning home so the smart thermostat adjusts temperatures to make your home comfortable when you walk back in the door.
Wi-Fi Connectivity with Smart Thermostats
Smart thermostats are WiFi connected, allowing you to access it while you’re away from home. Using the smart thermostat’s app on your smartphone or tablet, you are able to monitor temperature settings from pretty much anywhere.
Also, smart thermostats alert you if issues are detected which require attention when you’re gone. This is often helpful for everything from filter changes to malfunctions or spikes in activity.
Douglas Cooling & Heating Happily Recommends Smart Thermostats Best for Your HVAC System
Douglas Cooling & Heating connects homeowners with money-saving solutions like smart thermostats for improved energy efficiency whether you’re home or not! Contact us today to learn more about how smart thermostats and programmable models help you lower utility costs over spring break and throughout the year. We strongly encourage a thermostat consultation. Certain smart thermostats work better with specific heating and air systems.
